Tag Archives: National
What constitutes radical politics in 2017?
The latest policy release by TOP leader Gareth Morgan that they would like to introduce a $10,000 pa Universal Basic Income for all New Zealanders, starting with parents of under 3’s, and make National Superannuation a means tested top up, is the most “radical” policy announcement from a political party in years. It set me […]
Intensification won’t make Auckland affordable
It’s demand stupid! Housing affordability in Auckland has very little to do with supply and a lot to do with demand; from rampant, out of control immigration in particular, stoked with speculative fever, fueled by easy, irresponsible bank lending and up to $10B pa of laundered money. The failure of the Auckland Council to agree to […]
Labour’s future policy direction
As Andrew Little and the rest of the Labour Party heirachy sit down to decide policy and strategy for the next 3 years, they would do well to consider this Gordon Campbell interview with Bryan Gould. Yes Gould is part of a review committee that is reporting back to Labour on its election defeat but I […]
Congratulations Andrew Little – now where’s the vision?
Bland and boring have been words bandied about in the last few weeks with regard to the Labour Party leadership contest. I did it myself in September prior to the election in a post titled Labour Party – Bland, Cynical and Lacking Conviction If Labour want to keep following National down this vacuous, cynical “realpolitik” route relying on […]
Labour Party – Bland, cynical and lacking conviction
I’m loathe to add too much to the focus on personalities surrounding the current ructions in the Labour Party. It is mostly self inflicted with a dose of predictable (and contemptible) media hyperbole and desire for a good headline. Click-bait I think it’s called. What the leadership debate does do is focus attention on modern […]
Election 2014 – Looking out for number one
The sharp divisions in this election, the polarisation, the cognitive dissonance should be no surprise to anyone. What we are seeing is the end result of 30 years of neoliberal ideology, the separation of the electorate into three; those who are convinced that its okay, indeed welfare enhancing for everyone, if you only look out for yourself […]
Greenwald, GCSB and the war on dissent
Forget the war on terror. Glenn Greenwald has confirmed what mass surveillance is really about. Keeping track of internal dissenters, those pesky animal and human rights activists; those annoying NGO’s with their irritating agendas; those do gooder environmentalists and their outrageous claims against corporations; and who knows maybe even political parties, especially those with non […]
Why can’t we have full employment in New Zealand?
Somewhere in the last 30 years politicians and economists decided real full employment was “inefficient” and damaging to the economy. So they redefined full employment as the natural or equilibrium rate of unemployment, the lowest level of unemployment at which inflation remains stable. (Also known as the “non-accelerating inflation rate of unemployment” (NAIRU).) Economists start to […]
Labour and National in housing twilight zone
Both the Labour Party and the National Party are deluded when it comes to affordable housing. This weekend on The Nation, Housing Minister Nick Smith said $460,000 was “within reach” of first home buyers. Seriously? Phil Twyford was no better, referring to targeted prices for affordable housing in Auckland under their Kiwibuild policy of a […]
National and Labour in denial on housing affordability
National’s big election initative on housing was a woeful anti-climax. The offer to top up qualifying first home buyer’s Kiwisaver deposits does nothing to address affordability. Indeed if the First Home Buyer subsidies of Australia and Britain are any indication it will drive affordability further out of reach as rising prices more than outweigh slightly larger […]
unframed 